House Tyrell
House Tyrell of Highgarden 'is the dominant house in the Reach, and one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their titles include Lord Paramount of the Mander, Warden of the South, Defender of the Marches, as well as countless others. History Aegon's Conquest (1 BC) Initially having only been hereditary stewards of Highgarden during the time of the Gardener kings, House Tyrell was raised to the position of Lord Paramount in reward of their surrending of the castle following the Field of Fire, which saw all male members of the Gardener line be burnt alive. Many houses still count descent from the Greenhand, however - among them such powerful neighbors as Florent, Peake, Oakheart, Rowan, as many more with less influence, such as Bulwer and Oldflowers - and, as such, House Tyrell's rule is often perceived as illegitimate by it's vassals, believing that they themselves are the rightful lords of Highgarden. King Petyr I Baelish (303-331 AC) When King Tommen Baratheon died in 303 AC, the child-king left behind no clear heir; as a result, a Great Council was called that same year. Having long acted as co-conspirators to the others' plots, House Tyrell cast their vote for Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish as king - upon his coronation, House Tyrell was the frequent receipent of royal favors as repayment for their loyalty. Soon thereafter, the thrice-widowed Queen-Dowager would wed Edric Baratheon (previously Edric Storm, having been legitimized upon Petyr I's ascension to monarch), and Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden, would take the former Queen-Mother, Cersei Lannister, to wife. The latter would take place in a great ceremony at Highgarden in 305 AC, with all the realm in attendance; far fewer would turn out to attend Lord Willas' funeral a decade later, and whispers that Cersei had seen to the man's death so that she could rule the Reach in her son's name soon ran rampant throughout the region. Brynden's Rebellion (381-384 AC) When the new High Septon declared King Edmund a traitor to the Faith for his decision to take a Greyjoy to wife, the realm began to resemble a powderkeg - and Lord Brynden Baelish of Harrenhal the match. Coming to an agreement with the Avatar of the Seven, Lord Brynden agreed to see the Faith Militant return from their exile in Pentos were he made King of the Seven Kingdoms, and in 382 AC he declared himself as such from the walls of Harrenhal with the aid of the High Septon. House Tyrell chose to remain loyal to King Edmund; House Hightower, their house having long been intertwined with the Faith due to the Starry Sept being located within Oldtown's walls, declared for the rebels, and several more followed. The list of rebels is as follows: *'House Chester of Greenshield, who declared for the rebels in part due to their disdain for the Ironborn, as their seat of the Shields had long served as the Reach's first line of defense against any would-be reavers. *'House Bulwer of Blackcrown', who declared for King Brynden out of a hope that he would appoint them as the new Lords-Paramount of the Reach following King Edmund's removal, due to House Bulwer's descent from a bastard son of the Greenhand. *'House Florent of Brightwater Keep', who declared for much the same reason as House Bulwer, yet had a far greater chance of being awarded such, for they could field an army in excess of a few hundred men unlike the Lords of Blackcrown. *'House Graceford of Holyhall, '''who declared for the High Septon's chosen monarch due to piety, despite themselves possessing only a scant retinue of household guards and a hundred levies to support. *'House Redwyne of the Arbor, '''who chose to declare for neither; instead, they remained upon their island, reinforcing Ryamsport with all available men-at-arms and waiting to see which way the winds blew. They would later claim that they had remained at home out of fear that the Ironborn would reave the coasts were they to sail away. The Siege of Highgarden (382 AC) The first armed conflict between the rebels and loyalists would occur when the host led by Lord Hightower besieged Highgarden in 382 AC; as one would expect of sieges, it was a dull affair, and little of note occurred. Many of the besiegers held vigils in eyesight of the Tyrell soldiers that watched on from the walls, publicly professing their faith to the Seven-Who-Are-One as a taunting gesture to the defenders within that they perceived as godless. The Reaving of the Reach (382 AC) Realizing now that House Baelish had twice entered a war to secure their rule of the Iron Islands, King Edmund sought to put his newfound subjects to use, permitting the Ironborn to reave the coasts of the Reach in an attempt to force the rebel forces to fight upon two fronts. The Battle of Greenshield The first battle would be between the forces of House Drumm and House Chester, in the waters near the Shields; with the remaining Shieldlords having chosen to remain loyal to King Edmund, House Chester's armada was woefully outnumbered and smashed in the ensuing battle. Among the slain was Lord Qarlton "the Holyshield" Chester, whose death by drowning soon thereafter became a rallying cry for those rebels that believed their gods were under attack. The Sacking of Oldtown The second engagement would be between the forces of House Greyjoy and the city watch of Oldtown (for the bulk of House Hightower's army had marched north); the city would fall in a day's time when it's defenders were unable to stretch the great chain that guarded their harbor across the Honeywine in time, permitting the Ironborn's fleet to land freely. Oldtown would be looted of all valuables, though no salt wives or thralls would be taken - a conscious decision by Lord Greyjoy that later paid off in dividends when terms of surrender were discussed two years later. Though their fleet remained only a day's journey away from Oldtown, House Redwyne did not intervene in the Ironborn's attack upon the ancient city; instead, they watched and waited as they had for a year already. The Death of the Hightowers Upon hearing of his city's fate, Lord Hightower reluctantly called off his siege of Highgarden and marched home to defend his demense; he would never see the white walls of Oldtown again, instead ambushed along the Roseroad by the same Ironborn that had put his lands to the torch a week prior. Lord Hightower, his heir, and his brother would perish in the battle; the remnants of his army would be dismantled the fores of House Tyrell a few days later. The End of Brynden's Rebellion in the Reach (383 AC) At the year's turn, the rebels would fight their last battle in the fields near Bitterbridge; aided now by the forces of House Caswell, Lord Tyrell would see an overwhelming victory in his favor. The last rebel to stand was one Ser Humfrey Graceford, who held to the bitter end inside of an abandoned farmhouse alongside ten of his household knights; Lord Ormund Peake would give the order that the building's exits be barred and then set fire to, ending the rebellion there. Ser Humfrey's last stand is often memorialized today, and commonly recited by members of the Faith Militant abroad as an example of maintaining one's faith to the Seven-Who-Are-One despite all odds. Aftermath With Houses Chester and Hightower forced into exile, and both Florent and Graceford defeated, House Tyrell went about rewarding and punishing those as they saw fit: House Chester's seat of Greenshield was instead granted to Lord Grimm's brother, and Lord Grimm himself was risen to Lord of the Shields in place of House Chester; likewise, possession of Oldtown was granted to Lord Tyrell's relative, creating the cadet branch House Tyrell of Oldtown. Lord Florent was forced to surrender a hostage to Highgarden, and House Graceford was forced to swear eternal fealty to House Peake as punishment for Ser Humfrey Graceford's insolence - such an order stung deeply, for Lord Ormund Peake had been the very man that had ordered the knight's death by arson when he refused to surrender. Oldtown Branch Following Brynden's Rebellion, House Hightower was unlanded by the orders of Lord Tyrell and instead Oldtown was granted to his brother, Lord PLACEHOLDER Tyrell, in recognition of his service during the war. They hold court from the Hightower. Family Tree Placeholder Category:House Tyrell Category:Noble House Category:Houses from the Reach